GOMA/GENEVA, 5 February 2009 – The UN Children’s Fund is welcoming the release of 85 children by the Mayi Mayi armed group in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

All 85 children are now receiving protection and assistance from UNICEF and its partners who are also starting the process of trying to unite the children with their families.

Sustained fighting in north-east DR Congo in the past several months has forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee from their homes creating a humanitarian emergency.

“The release of these children is very encouraging as they can now start the long road to recovery,” said Ms. Pierrette Vu Thi, UNICEF representative in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “The challenges for UNICEF now are to help these children heal and to ensure that the thousands of children who remain with armed groups are also released and returned to their families as soon as possible."

Of these children, 65 were released on 29 January, and another 20 on 1 February. The children are between the ages of 7 and 17, five of them being girls.

A number of armed groups in North Kivu have verbally agreed to release all children in their ranks. A written agreement is aimed to be signed shortly.

If the agreement holds, UNICEF and partners estimate that 1,500 children could be withdrawn from armed groups in the next three months.

Children are particularly vulnerable in conflicts such as that in DR Congo, where they may become separated from family and fall prey to armed groups.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child notes that governments should not allow children under 15 to join the army and that children in war zones should receive special protection.

How you can help
Support our work with children in DR Congo by donating to the UNICEF Emergency Fund